NASA IT Security Posture Found to be "High Risk"

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report this month that has painted a bleak picture of NASA’s IT security posture.

Between 2007 and 2008, the space agency (NASA) reported 1,120 security incidents that have resulted in the installation of malicious software on its systems along with unauthorized access to sensitive information. And, this recent report continues the warning that highly sensitive personal, scientific, and other data was found to be at an “increased risk” of unauthorized use, modification, or disclusure.

There are potential lessons to be learned in this report and it is suggested reading for members of your organization’s business continuity management team(s). This report addresses questions of security software effectiveness, network security risks and weaknesses, information management and security management guidelines and ultimately potential ideas to increase the effectiveness of your enterprise security programs.